1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid fuel lamps and, more particularly, to an oil lamp including a conventional beverage container in combination with a wick assembly and support stand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to use oil lamps for both decorative and lighting purposes. Such oil lamps are often used at outdoor venues, particularly where they may be placed around decks or patios. Conventional oil lamps typically include a wick in adsorbing contact with a liquid fuel which burns for providing light. A plurality of these lamps may be arranged in a desired manner to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
While such outdoor oil lamps have become quite popular for entertaining purposes, these lamps are often unnecessarily elaborate and prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, such oil lamps are often bulky or awkward, and generally inconvenient to store.
In apparent recognition of some of the drawbacks of traditional outdoor oil lamps, U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,138 to Walters discloses an apparatus for converting a beverage container into a lamp. While this apparatus has addressed many of the shortcomings of the above-identified conventional oil lamps, it still suffers from certain drawbacks. Initially, it should be noted that the Walters patent is tailored to a beverage container having a removable pull tab, which when removed leaves a sector shaped discharge opening in the top wall of the beverage container. This type of container is generally no longer produced for dispensing beverages. Additionally, the preferred wick holder of the Walters device may be pushed relatively easily through the opening of the container. Finally, the Walters device provides a round wick which typically produces a relatively limited light output.
Accordingly, there is a need for an oil lamp including a wick holder for securely holding a wick within a beverage container opening while providing an improved light output and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Further, there is a need for a support stand for supporting the oil lamp in an elevated position.